Such a cute and unassuming spot in Remington. After dinner at Clavel, we walked down the street to…read moreWC Harlan for another cocktail. The lighting is pretty dark, but that's the vibe of the place! We had an Old Fashioned, which was great. The service was ok, we went to the bar to get our drinks and brought them back to the table. Overall, good experience and would return!

A handful of bars put on the "speakeasy" hat, but beyond the obligatory "secret door," I haven't…read morefound one that better embodies the full vibe than WC Harlan. The bartenders make artisanal cocktails from scratch ingredients, and with some other obscure liquors they can take you down a journey of dark, broody flavors; light, old-fashioned fruity twists on classics, autism, genuinely peculiar, but delicious inventions. The inside is wonderfully blacked out aside from the candlelight that makes for the perfect after dinner drink on night out with someone special, or presumably talking over a long week at work.

Clandestino has grown up, literally. What began as a small operation in Frederick has moved into a…read morelarger space, and the expansion suits them well. This is Puerto Rican pitorro, also known as ron cañita, made with care and intention rather than gimmickry. Many local liquor stores now carry the brand, and it is well worth picking up a bottle, but visiting the distillery is an experience in itself. The founder is a fellow Puerto Rican born retired military member, a background I share, and like me, he has put down roots in Maryland. That story is reflected clearly in the brand's own framing, "Puerto Rican born, Maryland made." The space feels grounded and unpretentious, and that sensibility carries through to the hospitality. We arrived late on a Saturday and were still welcomed warmly, never rushed. We were taken care of by the founder's daughter, who was exceptionally kind, attentive, and knowledgeable. She guided us through a flight that included the traditional pitorro, almond, pineapple, coffee, coconut chai, and several seasonal offerings. The flavors were thoughtful and well balanced; even the infused expressions retained a clear rum backbone rather than drifting into novelty. We enjoyed them enough to leave with several bottles. This is artisanal pitorro done right, rooted in Puerto Rican tradition and confidently made in Maryland. Buying it locally is convenient, but going to the distillery is where the people, the story, and the spirit fully come together.

The Clandestino Speak Easy at Zen West is open Fridays and Saturdays from 6pm to 12pm. It's also…read moreavailable for events and private parties.

My very 1st time going to a Speakeasy in Baltimore and I am a native Baltimorean. We came here to…read morewrap up a date night for a late night cocktail and conversation. There is a secret black door to enter. You can make reservations however, I was unaware that reservations were needed. We waited for about 20 minutes before a table opened up. Of course, the lights are dimmed inside with a very chill atmosphere. It is also pretty spacious inside for Speakeasy. We enjoy as it was something different to try. I will definitely return

It's a cool spot. It was a little hidden like most Speakeasy's which I love. When we entered it had…read morea cool dark but calming vibe and they weren't too busy. We had a party of 7 and we pretty much had our pick of where to sit. The waitress was talking really fast and low and we kept having to ask her to repeat herself. She never slowed down OR spoke louder. Once she had our drink orders, they didn't take long to come out. I ordered the "AKA" it was tequila based and was pretty good. Everyone was pretty happy with their drinks. This is when the night turned. 4 of the 7 of us wanted to leave and head elsewhere, the waitress made ALL 7 of us pay even though the others wanted to stay and order more. She would not budge on this and seemed pretty nonchalant about it. .. all in all. Glad we found it but won't be back.

Really cool bar in downtown Ellicott City! They have a good selection beers and also a full bar for…read morethose that might not like beer. The bartender was friendly and the space was cool with a small outdoor area downstairs. They also have upper floors, but we just stayed downstairs on this visit. They serve food, but we'd just eaten, so next time! Overall, it's a great little spot and I'll definitely return next time I'm in the area!

Let me just say it is NOT The Judge's Bench of days past. The food selections are extremely limited…read moreand consist basically of mediocre frozen food. I would equate it to cafeteria food. If you are with a handful of friends and you are looking for a casual place to sit, gab, and drink, Judge's Bench might be ok. Otherwise, I'd take the short walk to The Manor Hill or several other Old Ellicott City offerings. The Bench has seen better days.

This is a fine jazz club tucked in behind a nice restaurant. Have yourself an evening of sublime…read moremusic, delicious foods, amazing crafted drinks, great bartenders, and good company at 18th & 21st. We made a last-minute decision to try for some of the nightly jazz (except Monday) at 18th & 21st on a Friday evening (Oct 2025), hip-ly named for the prohibition amendment and repeal :-) There's a free parking garage right across from the entrance of the building they share with a sister restaurant, Cured. We arrived in the bright seasonally-decorated welcoming lobby about 7:50pm. We ought to have made reservations, but in under 10min, the reception staff took us to the more intimate room towards the back where we were seated at at the bar, which is really what we wanted. When we arrived, the 6pm jazz band had just gone on break, so we felt free to chat with friendly regulars and with the bar staff. They have a changing list of ten craft beers from $6 to $21, plus one $6 non-alcoholic brew. Five of the $14-$35 per-glass vintage wines from their list of 17 are preserved with the "corovin" system that keeps air out, so they are never "corked". We focussed on their list of 11 crafted $13-$22 cocktails plus 5 non-alcoholic ones, all made with quality ingredients, each naming the staff member(s) (and guests) who formulated the recipe! We found Alex's $16 Fernetinez sublimely sweet: of bitter fernet amaro, Frederick-based locally-sourced award-winning McClintock One Last Time gin (exclusive for 18th&21st), smooth Luxardo liqueur, and a sweet vermouth. We loved the aroma and flavor of the classic Smoked Old Fashioned of bourbon from Kentucky's 10th-oldest distillery, Green River, moved to a mild well-rounded sweetness by brown sugar simple syrup, smoked in front of me by Mike (if i remember), with added richness from smoky bitters. They have a creative menu of $30 to $65 entrees, plus salads, small plates, apps, and sides, and they have a changing menu of small plates. We really hadn't planned on eating, but we couldn't resist. The $17 duck bao buns had thin tender filets with a sweet lightly-salty apricot-soy glaze and a tangy crunchy pickled cucumber slaw on a soft folded yeasted slightly-sweet white-flour bun. The $12 pair of fried fresh-tasting oysters were sweet and juicy with a light-flavored crunchy crust. They were so yummy, and easy to enjoy with our cocktails. Rodney Kelly's jazz band was excellent, playing with spirit, joking with each other and the audience, even staging a song or two with a skilled member of the restaurant staff. Afterwards we had brief moments with some of the band members, like an intimate jazz club. Later in the evening, i also had a Turkish Sunset, a Manhattan-variation created in a collaboration among the staff and a guest (Well-done Ozzie!). I love Elijah Craig, and wanted to try their dry toasted rye, with housemade allspice dram syrup, Small Hands grenadine, and bitters. By now, i felt very much at home with the staff, and when i learned that one of them had helped formulate this beverage, i confided that its amazing complexity was, for me, just a touch too dry. Alex (if i remember) considered the ingredients and the target flavors, and added just a touch of a sweet lemony liqueur, perfectly complimenting the recipe's flavors! Real-time crafting goes above and beyond, Thank you! (And when they next update the menu, maybe they'll have a custom option named for me :-)

Beautiful upscale jazz restaurant located with Cured. I recommend dressing nice but it's not…read morerequired. They normally have live jazz, whether it's a band or a single performer. Service is exemplary. Plenty of food options, and some lovely choices. The octopus appetizer is the only thing I wouldn't suggest as it was rubbery and lacked flavor.

Run, don't walk here when they're open and you're in Chestertown. What a delightful place and Jeff…read moreis truly a gem and one of a kind.

Hole in the wall speakeasy that doesn't beat the hype but runs it over! Every time I walk in here I…read morefind another piece of decor that just fits the bar and atmosphere perfectly. The Bartender is one of a kind and the patrons appreciate his drinks and easy going demeanor. Look for that green light and have a cocktail and conversation. Cheers!

The service was great as usual and the drinks were great. I had two of them which were the Modena…read moreSpritz and the Toki Highball. Both were excellent! The atmosphere was bar appropriate with minimal noise, so I didn't need to raise my voice at all since I was in the tabled area in the back. Would I go back? Yes, absolutely.

My friend and I were looking for a quick bar to slip into around 10-11 PM and stumbled across this…read morespot. It's not too far from the waterfront, so it made for a nice walk after gelato. At first, you'll see what looks like just a pizza shop -- but if you head in and either use the side door or walk through and climb a set of stairs, you'll find the speakeasy upstairs. Very cool vibe: dark, cozy, and date-night ready. Drinks: 4/5 I ordered their take on an Old Fashioned, and it was definitely the highlight of the night but sweeter than I would have liked. They served it over a stamped solid block of ice (a small detail I ). My friend was abstaining from alcohol that night and asked for a non-alcoholic cocktail. To our surprise, they didn't just hand her a lemonade like most places -- they actually made her a crafted virgin drink, which she loved. Food: 3/5 We ordered fries and a slice of pepperoni pizza. The fries turned out to be waffle fries (not mentioned on the menu) and were overly crispy, so not really our favorite. The pizza was fine -- clearly sourced from the shop downstairs -- but it leaned oily and didn't really wow us. Service: 5/5 Pretty standard -- nothing over the top, but not neglectful either. Drinks came out reasonably fast, food followed, and we were checked on enough without it feeling pushy. Vibes: 4/5 The speakeasy itself is definitely the selling point. Dark, intimate, and stylish -- you feel like you've found a little hidden spot. All in all, the cocktails are the reason to come, especially if you're into whiskey. The food was forgettable, but it's convenient that you can order pizza upstairs. We spent about $30-40 for drinks and snacks, which isn't shocking for Old Town. Would I go back? Maybe if I was already in the area, but for a dedicated whiskey night, I'd probably head somewhere else.

I love the color scheme in here, dark with red and blacks. I think the ceiling is my favorite!…read more We were expecting to enjoy the Happy Hour menu because we read about it on the website but the bartender said they didn't have it anymore. My friend and I got two drinks each. Our first round of drinks didn't seem like full glasses but tasted good. I got a French 75 which was nice as my second, which was lovely. For food we got tuna tacos, beef sliders and fries. Tuna tacos were delicious . You get three. The sliders were alright i think it was because they were more medium well than medium. The fries are the most generous portion with three different dipping sauces. Our bill came out to $130 dollars. Not sure if at this price point I'll be retuning but it was a nice spot to try!

The drinks and service here were great. I liked the Billie Holiday cocktail. I also had a French 75…read morewith empress gin, which was great. The popcorn was a good snack to have with drinks. The bar was dark and cozy. Overall, I had a good time here.

Sssh... keep this on the down low. We found the coolest speakeasy in town. This joint is jumpin'…read more.., live jazz on Wednesday eve. The vibe is electric, the cocktails delicious, the shared plates delectable, the service impeccable. Such a fun eve! Go find the secret door, whisper the secret password and kick up your held with prohibition era libations tinged with just the right amount of danger. Tasty!

The first time I came to Code Red was last summer, and I genuinely found myself counting down the…read moredays until I could return. Finally made it back - and it did not disappoint. This is such a perfect spot for either a date night or a fun night out with friends. The speakeasy vibe, the chic atmosphere, and the music (a smooth, chill house mix) all come together so effortlessly. Plus, being open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays is a huge bonus. Definitely make a reservation ahead of time - this place stays busy for a reason. From my previous visit, I remember having a ravioli dish, what I believe was a braised beef, and their sliders with duck fat fries - all of which were incredible and clearly memorable since I was thinking about them for months. The sliders paired with those fries were honestly a standout. This time around, we had to get the duck fat fries again, and they were just as phenomenal as I remembered. The cheesesteak oysters were easily a 10/10 - fresh, meaty, and honestly surprising coming from someone who used to not even like oysters. We also tried the grilled octopus, which was well-seasoned (as expected, slightly chewy), and the fried calamari, which was light, not heavy at all, and paired perfectly with the sauces. The tuna tartare was another standout - super fresh, soft, and practically melted in your mouth. For drinks, we went all in. The Dirty Diamond martini with blue cheese olives was great, though if you like your martinis extra filthy, I'd recommend specifying that. The Hemingway Special had a nice subtle sour kick, and the vanilla mint espresso martini was strong (you can definitely taste the alcohol) but still smooth and frothy. The Mary Pickford with Malibu was surprisingly delicious - almost like a mocktail. The Paloma was solid, and the Code Red cocktail gave me slight cosmopolitan vibes. But the real star was the dulce de leche espresso martini--absolutely unforgettable. What really ties everything together here is the service. The staff - from the hosts to the servers - are attentive, welcoming, and genuinely elevate the experience. Overall, Code Red is one of those places you keep coming back to. If you're looking for a stylish speakeasy atmosphere with great food, drinks, and energy, this is it.

The service was nice, the bartender served me, he was a absolute sweetheart, the Ambiance was…read morelovely, felt like I was sitting in a tavern I can only imagine how cozy it is on a Saturday/Friday night! And the food was great!! I tore up the brussel sprouts I recommend them, ALittle salty but I still tore it up! 10/10 would come back, lemonade has free refills!

Elias was seemingly the only one working and he took great care of us even with a full bar! The…read moreplace was packed. Apparently it was a member party that trickled over into the public space. Even though we had made a reservation, there wasn't a hostess to greet us and confirm it once we arrived. Elias came from behind the bar, cleared a table, and seated us. The drinks were spirit forward which we both love and balanced. I didn't look at the menu beforehand so I just assumed bar fare. Was surprised to find crabcakes and salmon on the menu. Both were yummy but the brussel sprouts stole the show!